asked the Minister for Education the action, if any, taken by him in response to the EEC Commission proposals of June 1978 to strengthen and extend existing provisions for foreign language within the EEC member states.
448.
Written Answers. - EEC Foreign Language Provisions.
447.
asked the Minister for Education how much of the 6.5 EUA to be allocated for foreign language teaching by the EEC Commission in 1980 will be applied for; if his Department will be expending a proportionate amount of money on a foreign language teaching scheme in the same year; and the features such a scheme will have.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 448 together.
The proposals of the EEC Commission in regard to the teaching of foreign languages, which are contained in a Commission communication dated June 1978 to the EEC Council, have been under consideration by the Education Committee of the Council. On the basis of such consideration a separate document prepared by the Committee is being submitted to the Meeting of Ministers on 27 November.
In the circumstances I do not consider that it would be appropriate for me to comment at this stage on the proposals from the Commission.